1. Field of the Invention
The apparatus of the present invention relates to supporting a patient in a prone position. More particularly, the present invention relates to a foam support apparatus which will support a patient along the entire body of the patient, or the upper torso or certain limbs of the patient, through a support system which includes removable contoured support components.
2. General Background of the Invention
In the art of patient care, one of the most difficult areas in caring for patients is the ability to make a patient comfortable and not at risk, particularly while the patient is being transported from the patient's home or the scene of an accident, to a hospital for managed care. In the present state of the art, patients who must receive emergency care and must require transport to a hospital or clinic in emergency response vehicles such as ambulances, fire teams, helicopters, or the like, are usually placed upon a gurney of some sort having a pad, such as a thin mattress, upon which the patient lies while the gurney is being carried by individuals and then later moved into the vehicle for transport. It is quite common that the ride between the scene of the accident or the patient's home to the medical facility is quite lengthy, often times requiring that the vehicles travel over very difficult roads, which may be very harmful, if not ultimately fatal to a patient in dire need. Often, it is the case that a patient who is in critical care and on life support, during transport, would require a much more stable and smooth ride to the medical facility in order to survive during this critical time.
Furthermore, even while the patient is resting at the hospital or medical care facility, it is required that the patient often times be supported on a very specialized type of bedding or the like, so that the patient's needs are met. Often times, such a type of support for the patient's body or upper torso or limbs is not available, and therefore the patient must suffer due to this lack of specialized bedding. Therefore, there is a need in the industry for addressing the transport of the critically ill or injured, particularly, in emergency response vehicles, in such a manner that the person who is injured or ill is supported in his most comfortable and secure setting, and that while he is in transport, that no further injury occurs to the patient because of the difficult ride. There have been patents cited in the art which attempt to address certain aspects of the problems which are confronted in the art, and these are incorporated into the prior art statement which is being filed simultaneously herewith.